And the Oscar could have gone to...

November 26, 2012 4:27 PM

At the request of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas bowed to the inevitable and gave Indiana Jones' hat and whip to Harrison Ford. But Lucas really wanted Indy to be played by...

At the request of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas bowed to the inevitable and gave Indiana Jones' hat and whip to Harrison Ford. But Lucas really wanted Indy to be played by...

Photo: AP2003

At the request of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas bowed to the... Photo-1218020.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Tom Selleck. Although it was obvious to many that the role of Indiana Jones was made for Harrison Ford, George Lucas didn't want to make Ford "that guy I put in all my movies." He considered Tim Matheson and others before settling on Tom Selleck. Selleck, however, was under contractual obligation to the show "Magnum, P.I.," and was forced to bow out. less

Tom Selleck. Although it was obvious to many that the role of Indiana Jones was made for Harrison Ford, George Lucas didn't want to make Ford "that guy I put in all my movies." He considered Tim Matheson and ... more

Tom Selleck. Although it was obvious to many that the role of... Photo-1218021.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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The role of the evil (or is he?) wizarding professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" franchise went to Alan Rickman, previously known best as the sly villain from "Die Hard." But things would have been different if the director had cast... less

The role of the evil (or is he?) wizarding professor Severus Snape in the "Harry Potter" franchise went to Alan Rickman, previously known best as the sly villain from "Die Hard." But things would have been ... more

The role of the evil (or is he?) wizarding professor Severus Snape... Photo-1217995.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Tim Roth. The actor couldn't juggle the conflicting shooting schedules for "Planet of the Apes" and "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone." "I would have made (Severus Snape) a very different guy," Roth told MTV in 2007. less

Tim Roth. The actor couldn't juggle the conflicting shooting schedules for "Planet of the Apes" and "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone." "I would have made (Severus Snape) a very different guy," Roth told ... more

The role of Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" went to the man director Francis Ford Coppola envisioned for it all along - Marlon Brando. But the actor, who had a reputation for being difficult on the set, had to take a pay cut. Imagine how things would have turned out if they had cast... less

The role of Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" went to the man director Francis Ford Coppola envisioned for it all along - Marlon Brando. But the actor, who had a reputation for being difficult on the set, had to ... more

Photo: AP1972

The role of Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" went to the... Photo-1217997.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Sir Laurence Olivier. Coppola had two actors in mind for role of the gentle but deadly don in his genre-defining mobster movie, and one of them was the legendary British actor, according to the documentary about the making of the films, "A Look Inside." Olivier's agent, however, flatly turned down the offer, saying that the Shakespearean thespian was likely to die soon and wasn't taking on new work. (He lived for nearly two more decades.) less

Sir Laurence Olivier. Coppola had two actors in mind for role of the gentle but deadly don in his genre-defining mobster movie, and one of them was the legendary British actor, according to the documentary ... more

Sir Laurence Olivier. Coppola had two actors in mind for role of... Photo-1217998.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Ernest Borgnine was also a contender for the role. Paramount Pictures insisted that Coppola cast Borgnine as Don Corleone, but Coppola wouldn't relent. The studio finally gave up on casting Borgnine when they saw his screen test. less

Ernest Borgnine was also a contender for the role. Paramount Pictures insisted that Coppola cast Borgnine as Don Corleone, but Coppola wouldn't relent. The studio finally gave up on casting Borgnine when they ... more

Photo: AP1969

Ernest Borgnine was also a contender for the role. Paramount... Photo-1217999.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Dustin Hoffman landed the role of Benjamin Braddock in "The Graduate," but not before directors looked at...

Dustin Hoffman landed the role of Benjamin Braddock in "The Graduate," but not before directors looked at...

Robert Redford. Redford auditioned for the part of the aimless but lovesick twenty-something after winning kudos for "Barefoot in the Park."

Robert Redford. Redford auditioned for the part of the aimless but lovesick twenty-something after winning kudos for "Barefoot in the Park."

Photo: AP1965

Robert Redford. Redford auditioned for the part of the aimless but... Photo-1218001.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Anne Bancroft was only 35 at the time she was cast as the 45-year-old Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate," but the part could have gone to...

Anne Bancroft was only 35 at the time she was cast as the 45-year-old Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate," but the part could have gone to...

Photo: AP1968

Anne Bancroft was only 35 at the time she was cast as the... Photo-1218002.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Ava Gardner. Director Mike Nichols met with the former screen idol, but she told him, "The truth is, you know, I can't act. I just can't act! The best have tried." He backed out on offering her the part.

Ava Gardner. Director Mike Nichols met with the former screen idol, but she told him, "The truth is, you know, I can't act. I just can't act! The best have tried." He backed out on offering her the part.

Carrie Fisher took the role of Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" trilogy on the condition that she lose 10 pounds. Casting directors also had their eye on...

Carrie Fisher took the role of Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" trilogy on the condition that she lose 10 pounds. Casting directors also had their eye on...

Photo: AP1990

Carrie Fisher took the role of Princess Leia in the "Star... Photo-1218004.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Sissy Spacek. Brian DePalma and George Lucas held a joint casting session for the movies each was developing at the time - "Carrie" and "Star Wars," respectively. Spacek and Fisher both auditioned both for the telekinetic social outcast Carrie White and for spunky space-travelling princess Leia Organa. less

Sissy Spacek. Brian DePalma and George Lucas held a joint casting session for the movies each was developing at the time - "Carrie" and "Star Wars," respectively. Spacek and Fisher both auditioned both for the ... more

Then-football star O.J. Simpson. The reason director James Cameron nixed him? He didn't think audiences would find Simpson a believable killer. "I didn't know O.J. Simpson," Cameron said in a 2010 "60 Minutes" interview. "I didn't know that he was gonna go murder his wife later and become the real Terminator." less

American-born Liam Aiken. The then-10-year-old American the first choice to play Harry, but the hullabaloo about the fact he wasn't British - Rowling had decreed that only a Brit should play her character - doomed him. He later went on to star in another movie based on a child's book series - Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events." less

American-born Liam Aiken. The then-10-year-old American the first choice to play Harry, but the hullabaloo about the fact he wasn't British - Rowling had decreed that only a Brit should play her character - ... more

Dana Delany. In a 2008 Guardian U.K. interview, the former "China Beach" star revealed that she turned down the part of sex-talkin' gal-about-town Carrie Bradshaw because audiences had hated how she'd ditched her good-girl image in a previous movie. "I said, 'Darren (Star, the creator of SATC), I can't talk about sex again on screen or people will just lynch me!' .... (A)udiences had a certain image of me as Colleen (her "China Beach" character) and didn't want to see it change." less

Dana Delany. In a 2008 Guardian U.K. interview, the former "China Beach" star revealed that she turned down the part of sex-talkin' gal-about-town Carrie Bradshaw because audiences had hated how she'd ditched ... more

Anne Hathaway. The actress was cast as the unintentionally pregnant entertainment reporter, but backed out because she had problems with the plan to use real childbirth footage, according to director Judd Apatow. less

Anne Hathaway. The actress was cast as the unintentionally pregnant entertainment reporter, but backed out because she had problems with the plan to use real childbirth footage, according to director Judd ... more

Keanu Reeves landed the role of Neo in "The Matrix," but the studio was also looking at...

Keanu Reeves landed the role of Neo in "The Matrix," but the studio was also looking at...

Photo: AP2003

Keanu Reeves landed the role of Neo in "The Matrix," but... Photo-1218014.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Will Smith, who turned down "The Matrix" to star in the all-around flop "Wild, Wild West." "You know, 'The Matrix' is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn't see it. I watched Keanu's performance - and very rarely do I say this - but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up 'The Matrix,'" he later told Wired in a 2004 Q&A. "At that point I wasn't smart enough as an actor to let the movie be - whereas Keanu was." less

Will Smith, who turned down "The Matrix" to star in the all-around flop "Wild, Wild West." "You know, 'The Matrix' is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didn't see it. I watched Keanu's ... more

Photo: AP2007

Will Smith, who turned down "The Matrix" to star in the... Photo-1218015.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Paramount objected to Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" because he was unknown and because he was too short. They finally agreed to cast him when director Francis Ford Coppola threatened to quit the project entirely. Paramount had really wanted to cast... less

Paramount objected to Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" because he was unknown and because he was too short. They finally agreed to cast him when director Francis Ford Coppola threatened to quit ... more

Robert Redford, a known, bankable star. Paramount also pushed the very non-Italian-looking Ryan O'Neal for the role of Don Corleone's conflicted but capable youngest son. Others considered for the role included Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Martin Sheen, and James Caan. Caan went on to play the hot-headed eldest Corleone son, Sonny. less

Robert Redford, a known, bankable star. Paramount also pushed the very non-Italian-looking Ryan O'Neal for the role of Don Corleone's conflicted but capable youngest son. Others considered for the role included ... more

Sir Ian Mckellen was happy to take the role of Gandalf in the epic trilogy "The Lord of the Rings." "The other actors they asked to play Gandalf wouldn't go to New Zealand on that money for that length of time. I thought it would be a bit of an adventure," McKellen said in a 2006 Guardian interview. Also considered for the part of Gandalf was... less

Sir Ian Mckellen was happy to take the role of Gandalf in the epic trilogy "The Lord of the Rings." "The other actors they asked to play Gandalf wouldn't go to New Zealand on that money for that length of time. ... more

Photo: AP2003

Sir Ian Mckellen was happy to take the role of Gandalf in the epic... Photo-1218018.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Former James Bond Sean Connery. According to Brian Sibley's 2006 authorized biography "Peter Jackson: A Film-Maker's Journey," Connery complained that he didn't understand it. "I had never read Tolkien, and I didn't understand the script when they sent it to me. Bobbits? Hobbits?" Connery said. less

Former James Bond Sean Connery. According to Brian Sibley's 2006 authorized biography "Peter Jackson: A Film-Maker's Journey," Connery complained that he didn't understand it. "I had never read Tolkien, and I ... more

Photo: AP2001

Former James Bond Sean Connery. According to Brian Sibley's... Photo-1218019.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Sylvester Stallone was an unknown screenwriter at the time he sold "Rocky." He had one condition: that he play the lead role. It paid off, and Stallone and Rocky Balboa became synonymous. However, United Artists wanted a proven star to play Rocky, and looked at... less

Sylvester Stallone was an unknown screenwriter at the time he sold "Rocky." He had one condition: that he play the lead role. It paid off, and Stallone and Rocky Balboa became synonymous. However, United ... more

Sylvester Stallone was an unknown screenwriter at the time he sold... Photo-1218022.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Ryan O'Neal, among others.

Ryan O'Neal, among others.

Ryan O'Neal, among others. Photo-1218023.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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When Michael Keaton was awarded the role of the Dark Knight in "Batman," Warner Brothers was deluged by angry letters from comics fans who thought the comic actor's casting was an indication that the movie - helmed by the director best known for his Pee-Wee Herman movies - was destined for campiness. The complaints ended when Keaton portrayed the character as brooding, tormented, and possibly psychotic. However, camp might have been involved had they cast... less

When Michael Keaton was awarded the role of the Dark Knight in "Batman," Warner Brothers was deluged by angry letters from comics fans who thought the comic actor's casting was an indication that the movie - ... more

When Michael Keaton was awarded the role of the Dark Knight in... Photo-1218024.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Bill Murray. "I would have been a fine Batman," he told MTV.com in 2008.

Bill Murray. "I would have been a fine Batman," he told MTV.com in 2008.

Bill Murray. "I would have been a fine Batman," he told... Photo-1218025.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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The role of George Costanza on "Seinfeld" went to Jason Alexander, second from left, whose initial performance, a watered-down Woody Allen impression, morphed into an over-the-top impersonation of the show's doubt-riddled co-creator, Larry David. But Jerry Seinfeld originally offered the role to... less

The role of George Costanza on "Seinfeld" went to Jason Alexander, second from left, whose initial performance, a watered-down Woody Allen impression, morphed into an over-the-top impersonation of the show's ... more

The role of George Costanza on "Seinfeld" went to Jason... Photo-1218026.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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Paul Shaffer. In his 2009 autobiography, David Letterman's musical sidekick revealed that Jerry Seinfeld offered him the role of his namesake character's best friend and neurotic counterpart. "There's no audition," Seinfeld said. "You've got the part. Just call us back!" Shaffer never did. less

Paul Shaffer. In his 2009 autobiography, David Letterman's musical sidekick revealed that Jerry Seinfeld offered him the role of his namesake character's best friend and neurotic counterpart. "There's no ... more

Before Julia Roberts was cast in the 1990 film "Pretty Woman," the list of women who were considered for the lead role in the Cinderella-story-with-an-edge reads like a Who's Who of under-30 female Hollywood, including... less

Before Julia Roberts was cast in the 1990 film "Pretty Woman," the list of women who were considered for the lead role in the Cinderella-story-with-an-edge reads like a Who's Who of under-30 female Hollywood, ... more

Before Julia Roberts was cast in the 1990 film "Pretty... Photo-1218028.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

...Molly Ringwald, who now says she wishes she took the role but turned it down because she didn't want to play a prostitute...

...Molly Ringwald, who now says she wishes she took the role but turned it down because she didn't want to play a prostitute...

Photo: AP1988

...Molly Ringwald, who now says she wishes she took the role but... Photo-1218030.52988 - Beaumont Enterprise

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...and Daryl Hannah. Hannah wholeheartedly nixed the idea of playing the role of Vivian Ward, and she stood by her decision in 2007. "One of the things I'm most proud of is refusing to take Julia's role," Variety quotes Hannah as saying. "Every time I see it I like it less and less. They sold it as a romantic fairytale when in fact it's a story about a prostitute who becomes a lady by being kept by a rich and powerful man. I think that film is degrading for the whole of womankind." less

...and Daryl Hannah. Hannah wholeheartedly nixed the idea of playing the role of Vivian Ward, and she stood by her decision in 2007. "One of the things I'm most proud of is refusing to take Julia's role," ... more

Patrick Swayze, right, landed the role of Johnny Castle in "Dirty Dancing," but he had to make up with costar Jennifer Grey first - the two had starred in "Red Dawn" together, and hadn't gotten along. The other first choices to play the blue-collar dance instructor were... less

Patrick Swayze, right, landed the role of Johnny Castle in "Dirty Dancing," but he had to make up with costar Jennifer Grey first - the two had starred in "Red Dawn" together, and hadn't gotten along. The other ... more